UNIT 5 COMMODIFICATION OF CULTURE REVISION NOTES

 

Introduction to Commodification in Tourism

Overview

• Previous discussions covered the notion of authenticity in tourism.
• This unit focuses on the commodification of culture within the tourism industry.
• Commodification transforms everyday cultural practices into marketable experiences for tourists.
• This often results in the glorification and exoticism of local lifestyles to attract tourists and generate revenue.

Concept of Commodification

• Definition and Context:

  • Commodification involves turning cultural items and practices into products for sale.
  • This process can dilute the original cultural elements, creating a "monoculture" that lacks genuine diversity.

• Key Questions:

  • Individual Motivation: Why do people travel?
  • Economic Gains and Losses: Who benefits from tourism?
  • Cultural Impact: What changes does tourism bring to the host culture?

• Scholarly Insights:

  • Claude Lévi-Strauss: Travel often preserves the illusion of a vanished reality, moving through a "monoculture".
  • Shepherd (2002): Cultural commodification can revive traditional cultural forms and provide material benefits.
  • Goldstein (2007): Examines how commodification explores and expresses beliefs, e.g., ghost tours in Scotland.

Case Studies on Commodification

• Ghost Tours and Haunted Attractions:
• In Scotland, haunted hotels and ghost tours are major tourist attractions.
• These experiences revive old myths and tales, adding excitement and an aura of authenticity.
• Example: Loch Ness monster tours.

Commodification and Art Forms in Tourism

Overview

• Commodification of culture and its impact on authenticity is a central debate in tourism studies.
• Cultural items and art forms often lose their original meaning and utility when tailored for tourists.
• This transformation can lead to a loss of cultural significance and authenticity.

Key Points

1. Authenticity vs. Commodification:

   • Tourism promotes "authentic" experiences, but often commodifies cultural assets.
   • Items like costumes, folk art, and jewelry are made for tourists, losing their original cultural context.
   • Example: Bison Horn Maria headgear, now used mainly for tourist performances, has lost its cultural significance.

2. Impact of Market Forces:

   • Cultural items and traditions change in style, form, and purpose under market and capitalist pressures.
   • Artifacts originally for religious or ceremonial purposes are now produced for sale.
   • Example: Indigenous crafts becoming mere showpieces.

3. Positive and Negative Effects:

   • Positive:
     • Tourism can revive local interest in traditional art forms and provide material benefits.
     • Example: Revival of Indian handicrafts and state support for local artisans.
   • Negative:
     • Tourist demands can degrade the aesthetic quality of cultural products, leading to commodification.
     • Some cultural traits survive only as commodities for tourists.

4. Revival of Traditional Art Forms:

• Example: Inuit Art:
  • Graburn (1976) studied the Eastern Canadian Inuit, showing positive effects of tourism.
  • Inuit art incorporated new ideas while maintaining symbolic value.
  • Local craftsmen were engaged to ensure originality.
• Example: Indian Handicrafts:
• State efforts in India to revive and market traditional crafts have helped preserve these art forms.
• Local materials and traditional methods are used to create products in demand globally.
• Government initiatives promote the development and survival of traditional handicrafts.

the Deterioration of Traditional Art Forms

Introduction

• Book Reference: Graburn’s "Ethnic and Tourist Arts: Cultural Expressions from the Fourth World" (1976) - Early study on commercialization of cultural traditions.
• Key Argument: Tourism promotes pseudo-traditional arts, termed as 'airport art'.

Tourism and Pseudo-Traditional Art

• Definition: 'Airport Art' - Mass-produced art by those often outside the traditional culture (May 1977).
• Observation Task: Identify 'airport art' and evaluate its authenticity during travel.

Impact on Traditional Art Forms

• Changes Noted:
  • Loss of social/spiritual significance.
  • Alteration in size, form, quality, and materials.
• Example: African wooden masks lose spiritual value, tailored to tourist tastes (Bascom 1976).

Market Influence on Art

• Consumer Demand: Tourists seek cultural souvenirs over genuine cultural interest (Mathieson and Wall 1982).
• Increased Production:
  • Mass production and commercialization of pseudo-art.
  • Middlemen influence, reducing tourist-host interaction (Evans 1994).
  • 'Authentic replicas' or 'tourist art' - imitation traditional materials/techniques, often factory-made.

Commodification of Cultural Elements

• Cultural Displays as Commodities:
  • Dance, music, ceremonies, and heritage sites marketed for tourism.
  • Example: Traditional Kathputali dance and local greetings in Rajasthani hotels.
• Promotional Literature: Romanticized images used in travel brochures.

Case Study: Spanish Public Ritual

• Alarde Festival:
  • Original: Commemorates Spain’s victory over the French in 1638, signifying solidarity.
  • Post-tourism: Timing during peak season collapses cultural meaning, becomes a public attraction (Greenwood 1977).

Consequences of Cultural Staging

• Positive:
  • Preservation of culture.
  • Enhanced local pride and awareness among younger generations.
• Negative:
  • Manipulation of traditions for tourist experience.
  • Superficial staged displays for economic gain, diluting real cultural context.

Summary

• Commercialization: Transformation of cultural elements for tourist consumption.
• Implications: Both positive (preservation, pride) and negative (superficiality, loss of meaning).

Visual Representation

• Flowchart:
1. Tourism Influx → Demand for souvenirs.
2. Art Production:
   • Traditional Art
   • Pseudo-Traditional Art ('Airport Art')
3. Impact:
• Positive: Cultural preservation, local pride.
• Negative: Loss of meaning, commercialization.

Case Study I: From Temple to Commodity? Tourism in Songpan and the Bon Monasteries of A’mdo Sharkhog

Overview

• Authors: Mona Schrempf and Jack Patrick Hayes (2009)
• Focus: Changes in Songpan County, China post-1999 tourism campaign ‘Opening of the West’.

Key Areas of Study

1. Location:

   • Songpan County and town (Tib. Zung chu mkhar)
   • Tibetan area of Shar khog with Bon monasteries and the former Bon pilgrimage mountain Shar Dung ri, now Huanglong Nature Reserve.

2. Objective:

   • Understanding local developments and transformations through tourism.
   • Commodification of tourism in Songpan.

Cultural Politics of Place Names

• Transformation:
  • Change from Tibetan to Chinese place names.
  • Reflected transformative politics supported by the Chinese state.
  • Urban areas showed significant Chinese influence and development.
  • Rural areas maintained Tibetan culture.

Urban and Infrastructure Development

• Tourism Models:
  • Urban tourism: Highlighted national-urban culture.
  • Rural tourism: Focused on local ethnic culture.
• Development:
  • Urban areas developed into tourist resorts.
  • Rural villages initially did not see similar urbanization.

Marketing of Traditional Goods

• Products:
  • Tibetan and Chinese medicinal plants, and animal products.
  • Marketed as local or ‘primary’ products.
• Process:
  • Goods bought by Songpan County Market Development Company.
  • Processed and sold via county pharmacies.
  • Aimed at creating social wealth and enhancing productivity.

Bon Monasteries and Monastic Revival

• Pre-Tourism:
  • Monasteries supported by local Tibetan villagers.
  • No external sponsorship.
• Post-Tourism:
  • Leasing of monasteries introduced.
  • Increased tourist attraction during monastic festivals.
  • Entry of Chinese women as tourist guides, breaking previous taboos.
  • Language issues addressed by involving Chinese guides.

Cultural Identity Crisis

• Issue:
  • Misunderstanding of Bon rituals by Chinese tourists.
  • Bon monasteries follow anti-clockwise circumambulation, unlike Tibetan monasteries.
• Solution:
  • Chinese tour agencies set up cauldrons and washrooms to guide tourists subtly.

Commodification Aspects

• Cultural Politics: Influence on naming places.
• Leasing Monasteries: New aspect due to tourism.
• Tourism Models: Urban vs. Rural.
• Cultural Adjustments: Subtle changes to accommodate tourists.

Visual Representation

• Flowchart:

  1. Tourism Influx → Declaration of tourism site (1999)
  2. Commodification:
     • Place Naming: Tibetan → Chinese
     • Tourism Models: Urban (resorts) vs. Rural (ethnic culture)
     • Traditional Goods: Medicinal plants/animal products
     • Monasteries: Leasing and tourist adjustments
  3. Impact:
     • Development of tourism infrastructure
     • Cultural identity challenges and solutions

Conclusion

This case study highlights the multi-faceted impact of tourism on Songpan and the Bon monasteries, showcasing both the positive developments in infrastructure and the challenges posed by cultural commodification.

Case Study II: Examples from India

Commodification of Heritage Sites

Taj Mahal (Agra)

• Historical Significance: Built during the Mughal era using white marble from Makrana, Rajasthan.
• Current Scenario:
  • Marble Industry: Agra is now known for marble production.
  • Souvenirs: Replicas of the Taj Mahal are sold as souvenirs.
  • Tourism Development: Growth of luxury hotels catering to international tourists.
  • Language Skills: Locals have developed English communication skills to interact with tourists, despite not having formal education.

Dilli Haat (Delhi)

• Concept: A market where artisans from across India display and sell ethnic, handmade products.
• Tourist Experience: Offers a diverse cultural experience in one space.

Commodification of Religious Sites

Nizamuddin Dargah (Delhi)

• Cultural Significance: Shrine of a Sufi saint.
• Tourist/Pilgrim Interaction:
  • Vendors: Sell ritual items (rose garlands, petals, incense sticks, attar, maanat ke daage, batasha) that are essential for prayers.
  • Optional Items: Chadar offered by vendors as part of the ritual, though not necessary.
  • Tabarruk: Items become blessings after prayers.

Commodification of National Parks

Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan), Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Parks (Madhya Pradesh)

• Study by Vasan (2018): Focus on the tiger as a commodified entity.
• Marketing and Experience:
  • Tiger Sighting: Marketed as a unique experience.
  • Access: National Parks and safari regulations make wildlife experiences a scarce commodity.
  • Tourist Gaze: Photography and social media make the tiger a global commodity.
  • Material Experience: Social status and economic hierarchies influence access to tiger sighting experiences.
  • Contradiction: Highlights the conflict between sustainable conservation and competitive consumption of commoditized nature.

Visual Representation

Flowchart: Commodification of Cultural Elements in India

1. Heritage Sites

   • Taj Mahal
     • Marble industry growth
     • Souvenirs: Taj Mahal replicas
     • Tourism infrastructure development
     • Locals learning English for tourists
   • Dilli Haat
     • Centralized marketplace for ethnic products
     • Diverse cultural experience for tourists

2. Religious Sites

   • Nizamuddin Dargah
     • Vendors selling ritual items
     • Optional ritual offerings (Chadar)
     • Ritual items becoming blessings (Tabarruk)

3. National Parks

• Ranthambore, Kanha, Bandhavgarh
• Tiger marketed as a unique experience
• Safari access regulations
• Tourist gaze through photography and social media
• Social and economic hierarchies in wildlife tourism
• Conflict between conservation and consumption

Conclusion

This case study shows that commodification in tourism affects various cultural and natural sites across India, transforming them into marketable experiences, with both positive developments and potential challenges to cultural and environmental integrity.